Aspects described herein provide a compact (e.g., hand-holdable) targeting device that can provide laser targeting capabilities and remote geolocation capabilities in a single device. Soldiers or other ground personnel sometimes provide targeting support for aircraft, other vehicles, weapons, or other soldiers. For example, personnel may use laser targeting devices that illuminate a target with a laser spot that a sensor onboard a vehicle and/or a weapon can detect. The sensor uses the laser spot as an indicator of a target for subsequent prosecution, surveillance. For example, a weapon may guide to the laser spot to engage the target. As another example, a weapon may use the laser spot as a guide for its own targeting system. After the weapon targeting system has acquired the target with the laser spot, the weapon targeting system can be used to guide the weapon to the target. As another example, personnel may use geolocation devices that calculate a position of a target and transmit the calculated position (e.g., a latitude and longitude) to a vehicle and/or weapon. The transmitted position is then used for guidance to the target.
The size and weight of existing laser targeting and geolocation devices limit soldiers' flexibility during deployment in the field. A soldier may carry both a laser targeting device and a geolocation device in the field. However, such a load may limit the amount of ammunition and rations the soldier may also carry. As a result, a deployed soldier has limited flexibility in methods for providing targeting information to vehicles and/or weapons.